Life, Death and Changes
by ArashiNekoi
Summary: Dum dum dum... follows my usual, Rocket-y theme. Duh. C'mon folks! Give it a shot, will ya? And review? Please?


--ABOUT THE CHARACTER--  
  
* Your character's name: Lee  
  
* Your character full name: Aylee Bennett  
  
* Character's age: 15  
  
* Brithdate: July 18, 1986  
  
* Birthplace: Born in Pallet Town, but also lived in Lavender Town and on Cinnabar Island.  
  
* Group: Team Rocket  
  
* Please list your character's background. Where does he come from? Why is he the person he is  
  
today? What does he love/hate? Why? (These are just sample questions, this is where you build the  
  
foundation for who your characters is today, make him "real" for us).  
  
An old, empty soda can clanked across the empty warehouse lot, surprisingly loud in the stillness of the night. Seconds later two shots rang out followed by a dull click. It clicked once. Twice. Then the sound of swearing and something metal hitting the ground.  
  
Josh Bennett, Pokeforce officer, grinned from his safe spot behind one of the old warehouse buildings. Once again, the old trick had worked; he'd gotten the kid to unload his gun and nobody had gotten hurt. Granted, it only worked on trigger-happy, thug-wannabes, but either way it worked and that was all he wanted. Results.  
  
Beside him his partner and otherwise best friend, Sirius, just wagged his bushy tail at the fact that once again, they'd done it. And this time without needing to be shot at.  
  
Yes, Sirius was a Growlithe; one that had been bred and raised for being assigned to the trainees and new officers that didn't have their own Pokemon. But for once, a stroke of luck perhaps or maybe just fate at work, a decent team was made with this random and everyday act. Where there had been before an average young man who hoped to serve the law as best he could, and a Growlithe raised like many others, to serve their handler and help bring justice, there now was a promising team. Sirius had the senses; he was a naturally gifted tracker and hunter. Josh had the brains; he was smart and knew how to put the clues they gathered together. By themselves, the two would have been perfectly average, doing what they had to with moderate efficiency and accuracy. Together, with the Growlithe's gifts being guided and the officer getting the things he needed to put together, they were good. Noticeably good.  
  
The two had done well in the small, quiet town of Pallet where Josh had assisted the local Officer Jenny. It wasn't a hard job there; such a small place had next to no crime, but what little there was the force handled quickly and easily. Having originally come from the much larger city of Celadon, Josh was used to crime and minor thefts, so Pallet's occasional stolen bike or kitten in a tree, was a piece of cake.  
  
The easy-to-like young man soon fit right in to the town, and, sure enough, it wasn't long before a young lady captured his attention. Maria Jacobs, the pretty, smart young trainer originally from Pewter City, impressed him not only with her looks, but her training skills and quiet yet pleasant personality. A year later the two were married and not long after that their first child was born, a little girl they named Aylee Joi Bennett. On Maria's insistence, they moved out of Josh's little apartment where they had been living and into a small house on the edge of Pallet where they settled in and made a home.  
  
Things were good for the little family and before long a second year passed. They celebrated their daughter's first birthday and Josh and Sirius were becoming an even better team. The two were doing more than their part in helping to keep the crime in Pallet town to a minimum, and the force had been keeping a close eye on them. It was becoming quite clear that the two were indeed a very promising team. They had natural talent for law enforcing, going so far as to occasionally managing to stop some crimes from happening, or more often being the first ones at a crime scene. They followed orders quickly and efficiently as well, an important thing on the police force. But of course, such talent couldn't be put to very good use in such a little town as Pallet. That much was obvious. What they were going to do about it on the other hand; that was the problem. There was really only one good choice to make; they'd transfer him to a different place, an area where good teams were in greater demand.  
  
Much to Maria's horror, only two weeks later Josh was transferred to Lavender Town. Aside from all the wild tales and rumors that went flying around about the place, ghost stories, murders and all sorts of strange happenings, the amount of crime seemed to be more than usual for a town it's size. Many believed it was more than just simple crime; they were convinced it was the work of the restless spirits and creatures that dwelt in the Tower when they became bored. Perhaps it was indeed partly this. Either way though, Josh felt it was his duty to go where he was sent and so, in only the period of a few weeks, the family had moved to Lavender and set up house there. It was true, the place was less than cheerful and the people of the town seemed to be wary of the newcomers, a far cry from the friendliness of Pallet. Maria desperately disliked the town, the mere thought of having to raise her daughter in such a place terrified her, but so loyal was she to her husband that she hardly said more than a few words about it.  
  
As far as Josh's feelings on living in such a town as Lavender, his idea was that it was a better, more challenging job for both him and Sirius, better pay and an all-around good opportunity for his family. If he was good enough to get transferred here, maybe once he proved himself he'd be transferred again, this time to one of the larger cities.  
  
Two years later he was again being watched. The people higher than him were impressed, the Josh and Sirius team was far more talented than they had guessed and they had every intention of moving them up a notch. But for the time being the two were on the job, diligently working to stop a rogue gang member from going on a shooting spree in a nearby neighborhood.  
  
"Right Sirius, let's bring him in." Bennett murmured to his partner, already in the process of moving forward cautiously. Sure, it was only a kid, but trapped animals can react suddenly and violently without warning no matter what chances they have of freeing themselves and he'd seen the same thing with people, especially rebel kids like this. He had the scars to prove it.  
  
On command, the Growlithe sprang forward on silent paws, stalking through the darkness to get past their target and cut off his other escape route, helping his trainer to surround the would-be murderer. Positioned, he growled, low in his throat. The noise was partially to let his target know this direction was blocked, partially to let his partner know he was ready. Hearing the signal, Josh stepped out from behind the warehouse building he had been behind and into the pale orange-ish glow of a street lamp that managed to feebly light the space between two large buildings.  
  
"Gotcha trapped kid. Give it up now, it'll be easier." He announced casually, his voice seeming louder than it really was as it broke the silence left by the gunshots.  
  
"You must be kidding old man." The teen sneered, shaking his long blond hair back cockily. "May not have this anymore," He kicked the empty gun at his feet and sent it skittering across the pavement. "But that don't mean I'm defenseless. Bring it on!" With the final sentence, he lunged forward and Josh only just managed to see the glint of a metal blade before the kid was on top of him, knife held at his throat threateningly. "Look here Pops. I got work to do and you ain't gonna be the one ta stop me. See ya around Copper.in hell."  
  
The long blade was being lowered steadily when the kid suddenly let out a scream. Something had knocked him off of the Pokeforce officer and he was now the one pinned on the ground, helpless beneath a snarling bundle of fur.  
  
"Was wonderin' when you'd get around to savin' my sorry ass." Josh commented calmly, climbing to his feet and brushing himself off. At this the Growlithe looked up at him for a brief second, a look of amusement on his face, then back at the now struggling teen.  
  
"Hey! Get offa me! Get off!" The kid was grunting, trying fruitlessly to reach for his knife, which now lay just inches away from his fingertips. Every time he moved to grab it, Sirius growled louder and snapped threateningly at his arm. Josh chuckled at the sight as he reached for his handcuffs, wrestling the kid to the ground and holding him still before fixing his arms behind his back rather roughly. Once done, he hauled him to his feet.  
  
"And don't think about runnin'. Sirius here'll could either break your legs with his jaws or turn you into barbecue. Either way, it wouldn't feel great." Bennett warned him grimly, once he was up. The teen just gritted his teeth angrily and kept quiet.  
  
The trip back to the small station was uneventful. Fortunately for them all, the kid had enough sense not to try and make a break for it and by the time they were nearly there he'd given up swearing at them and shut up. Back at the station he was greeted by the cop on guard duty.  
  
"Good work Bennett, as usual. I'll take him from here." Lerin grunted as he grabbed the kid and wrestled him into the car that would take him to Celedon. "Oh, and by the way!" He then called, sliding into the driver's seat. "There's supposed to be something weird going on up around the street near the Tower. You're supposed to go take a look, though it's more than likely those superstitious nutcases makin' up tales again."  
  
"Yeah, always is, ain't it? Well, Sirius an' me'll go take a look around anyway, make 'em feel better." Josh grinned at the other officer, then headed off again, Growlithe trotting alongside.  
  
That was the one thing he hated most about working in Lavender. There were always the people, the ones everybody called crazy for living as close to the Tower as anyone dared build, who were calling in having spotted some ghost or ghoul or some such nonsense. Sure, he believed in the ghost-type Pokemon that lived there and knew for sure that they were dangerous. His wife had told him enough about battling them that he understood their power and had no desire to mess with them. But more than half the wild stories told in and around the town were just overblown bedtime stories that parents told their kids to make sure they kept a good distance from the run- down and therefore dangerous Lavender Tower. He understood perfectly how easily a child could fall through the floor and get hurt or killed, or maybe even run into one of the more dangerous ghost Pokemon that hung around there. Still though, was there really any reason to make it as big a deal as it had been made?  
  
"Grrrowl." Sirius rumbled, ears pricked as the two made their way closer to the mazes surrounding the Tower. They had no intention of even entering this area; it was a simple check and report job. No need to bother with a whole lot of extensive searching. What was around the Tower could stay around the Tower, it was only the town that they were supposed to keep an eye on.  
  
"What's up boy? Got somethin'?" The Pokeforce officer asked, trying futilely to hide his surprise that there might actually be something up and around.  
  
"Rrowlithe." Came the unsure reply as the Growlithe jogged ahead a little, nose pointed forward and ears still pricked. He continued ahead, moving steadily away from the Tower and closer and closer to the woods nearby. Apparently he had gotten something.  
  
Before Josh could catch up with his partner, something erupted from the forest with a terrifying snarl. Immediately Sirius blocked the thing's path in an effort to protect his friend, but was casually brushed to the side, landing hard on the ground nearby. The creature was headed straight for the officer. Stunned by the suddenness of it all, Josh froze for a second, slightly unsure of what to do. But he was a Pokeforce officer; he'd handled this sort of thing before. Or so he thought.  
  
Without a second thought, his flashlight was unhooked from his belt and moments later the beam of light was shining on the attacker. A second later he realized that no, it was shining /through/ his attacker. The creature was huge, taller than he was; it was an enormous werewolf-like creature, wolf-like in nearly every sense except that it was on two legs like a man and that it.wasn't solid. It was a strange, misty sort of thing.  
  
Never in his life had he ever been as scared as he had at that moment. He was going to die. There was no doubt at all about that, no way could he survive any sort of attack made by this creature. But then what would happen to his family? His wife? His baby daughter?  
  
The thing raised its head to the sky and howled; it was a long, stomach- twisting, heart-stopping, icy-cold sound. It said, clearer than any words could have, that these flesh and bone trespassers were going to pay. It told both Josh and the stunned Growlithe crumpled in a heap on the ground, that there was no point in running. Neither would survive this encounter.  
  
And all this happened within a matter of minutes. Pokeforce officer stood frozen, flashlight still trained on the terror before him. The Growlithe lay motionless on the ground, stunned, dizzy and fighting off the blackness that threatened to take over. Almost pleased with itself, the creature let out another roar, this time shorter, as it lunged at the human. With one massive, clawed hand, it grabbed him around the neck, lifting him off the ground and snarled, fangs dripping and lantern-like eyes glaring. In the creature's grip, Josh gasped and choked, trying his very best to suck air into his lungs. This wasn't the way he wanted to go. Not like this, dangling helplessly from the enemy's hand.  
  
By now Sirius was on his feet again, albeit rather shakily, but up nonetheless. And the first thing he saw was the monster slowly killing his trainer.partner.best friend. With a snarl to rival that of the wolf- creature, he sprang forward, a blast of fire shooting from his mouth. Seeing the flames from the corner of his eye, the creature tossed his human captive away and turned to face this nuisance.  
  
Josh's body was growing limp from lack of air, he was blacking out slowly.this was the end, he knew it. He was going to die this way. His family. Just before he totally blacked out, he felt himself falling. Air was rushing past him for a brief second, then he heard a sickening crack and felt more pain coursing through his body. There was ground beneath him now, it was hard and there were things poking him, but that was nothing compared to the flaring pain that surged throughout his body. But he could breathe.thank god for that. It hurt yes, but at least he could breathe. Seconds after this registered though, he felt the blackness pressing in on him again. No. He had.to stay.awake. He./had/.to.  
  
The creature managed to somehow fade out after throwing the human aside and avoid Sirius's attack. It then turned, pure fury in it's eyes, on the dog- like Pokemon. Sirius on the other hand had followed the Pokeforce officer with wide, horrified eyes, then rushed forward to help his fallen partner. In moments, he was at Josh's side, tongue lolling out as he panted, and a genuinely worried look on his face. When his trainer didn't respond to his presence immediately, he resorted to licking his hand gently, letting the man know he was there.  
  
Blackness had almost taken over now and the pain was starting to fade. Sounds, vision, everything was going fuzzy. Josh had given up all hope of getting away alive now. His loyal partner, strong Pokemon and best friend was most likely dead anyway. There was no way to help his family now. That's when the rough tongue touched his hand. He felt it clearly. "S- sirius." His own voice startled him. It was far too weak, scratchy and low to be his. But just the same, there was a soft whimper in reply, so soft he barely caught it. Sirius was alive. There was still a chance. Gathering every ounce of energy he still had in him, draining everything he had left, he spoke. "Sirius.buddy. I.I want you.to.take care.of my.family." Through the swirling pain and looming darkness, one clear though came to him. Maria was strong; she could get along without him. It would be hard, but she'd manage. But if she ever lost their daughter as well. "I.want you.need you.to.look after.my baby. Please.don't ever.let.anything.happen to.her." He tried, he really tried, but he couldn't manage to finish. The blackness closed in and the last thing he heard was Sirius's mournful howl.  
  
His best friend's final request burned into the Growlithe's brain, as Josh suddenly became unresponsive. Sadder than he'd ever been, heartbroken really, Sirius lifted his head to the black sky and howled, pouring all the despair he felt into it. He didn't notice the furious creature behind him stalk closer, claws, fangs, and eyes gleaming. He saw what was happening seconds before it did and far too late to stop it. With a bloodcurdling sound, halfway between a snarl and a yelp of fury, the monster lunged, claws first, sinking them deep into the Growlithe's flesh and picking him up. Sirius gave a choked yelp of pain as he was lifted into the air. Like his trainer, raw pain went searing through his body and his mind was immediately clouded with the sensory overload. It hurt. It hurt, so much more than he had ever thought was possible. More than anything he wanted it to stop. If there was anything merciful in the world, let it /stop/!  
  
".need you.to.look after.my baby." The pain didn't stop, but through it his best friend's wish echoed, piercing through it, numbing it. ".don't ever.let.anything.happen to.her." He had to get up. He was Josh's last hope and he'd do what was asked of him. It was an unspoken promise. And he'd rather die painfully, trying to fufill it than break it and die now.  
  
The words drumming through his head like some sort of rejuvenating chant, Sirius, once again like his trainer, summoned the last bit of energy he possessed. Everything, his anger, his loyalty, his determination, everything was drawn into one last-ditch effort. From his position in the air, held there by the monster's ferocious claws digging mercilessly into his flesh, Sirius launched a huge ball of fire. It was the strongest attack he had ever performed in his lifetime, and it was headed straight for his relentless attacker.  
  
Who knows why the flaming ball Sirius managed to spit at the creature missed? Perhaps the Growlithe was too tired and in pain to shoot it straight. Maybe the monster had somehow known it was coming and dodged. It could have been that it simply went through the misty, ghost-creature. There are many things that could have happened, but either way, the truth of the matter is that while on just about any other living thing it would have meant serious injury or even death, on this strange beast it didn't seem to do much of anything at all. Anything, that is, except for make it angry.  
  
If it had been furious before, the creature was now wild with anger. How /dare/ this pathetic little creature try to escape him? In wild, uncontrolled fury, it took the already ragged and nearly limp body of the Growlithe, lifted the Pokemon high into the air and whacked it against the thick trunk of a tree. Hard. There was a terrible crack, and a yelp from the scruffy bundle of fur. Still filled with rage, the monster swung the body again. And again. Each time there was another crack of bones breaking with the dull thud of flesh hitting the tree. Not a sound came from the Growlithe as the creature dropped the now totally limp form to the ground. Intruders eliminated, the creature snarled at their bodies before stalking slowly off into the forest again.  
  
Sirius realized his final attempt to get free failed the moment the attack left him. He'd failed Josh. The pain of that thought hurt him twenty times worse than the pain he was already feeling. It wasn't possible to hurt worse than he did now. It couldn't be possible. And if it was.oh, to the powers that looked after the creatures on earth, he prayed he never would have to find out what that was like! But why is it that things can always manage to get worse? What cruel thing makes that possible?  
  
He felt himself being lifted again, higher than before. This time he was raised above the horrible creature's head. Pain. Nothing but pain. It coursed through his veins, his mind was clouded by it, his ears were filled with the pounding of it. Then he was rushing through the air again. ".look after.my baby." The words cut through the fog in his mind, the sound replacing the pounding in his ears. ".never let." The wind, in his ears, his eyes, his nose. ".anything." It felt cool, the black night air. ".happen to." That voice, the unspoken promise. ".her." All the pain, the horrible, blinding, smothering pain was gone. Then came the sound. Crack. He'd heard it before, the sound of him crunching a bone he'd been chewing on, the time Josh had taken a powerful kick to his left arm, when his partner's little girl, only three years old, had fallen from the tree she'd been in with her father. Josh had felt it was his fault and had taken his baby to the hospital and stayed with her through the entire casting process. His baby. Look after his baby.  
  
Pain overloaded his senses.his mind, whirling in suddenly blinding bright colors.cloudiness.the voice.pain.look after his baby.too much.it hurt.protect her.light.blinding.baby.her.protect. Blackness.  
  
It was over. Done. The pain was gone. But now.there were choices. He didn't want to make choices. He wanted to rest. To sleep. Forever. He couldn't. Choices must be made.  
  
A bright, cheerful light beckoned him ahead, warm and comforting. It promised sleep. Rest. Endless comfort.  
  
Behind him was the darkness though. No! It was pulling. Sucking. Dragging him back towards it. Endless.what? He didn't want to find out.  
  
There was something else too. Neither darkness, nor light. Not sleep, but not torment, as the dark place seemed to read. Something.important. A flash. A picture. A face. Something forgotten. Left behind. Dare he go? Try to find it?  
  
Her. Baby.  
  
What was it? Why couldn't he remember?  
  
Now. There was no more time. Light beckoned. Dark pulled. The unknown. Which should he choose?  
  
Something.he had to remember. He /had/ to.  
  
Light. Dark.  
  
A promise.  
  
Her.  
  
*************  
  
The Scarewulf turned. His eyes opened. He blinked as the world came into focus and his blue eyes took in his surroundings. A rumpled bundle of orange, white and black fur, stained with dark red blood. He looked around a bit. Trees were in front of him and a grassy place behind. Turning again, he walked the edge of the trees and only a short distance away he found a body. A human body. It was also crumpled and bloody, like the first but this one. There was something distinctly different about this one. He knew just by looking.  
  
In the distance something howled. It was followed by a second howl. Then a chorus. He was being called.  
  
Without glancing back at the two bodies, the Scarewulf entered the woods and trotted away.  
  
**************  
  
The next morning Josh Bennett was found. He was in critical condition and it was a miracle he had survived outside, alone, for the four hours he had been there, but he was alive. That was all that mattered, Maria Bennett told all those who asked. At least he was alive. But though the fact was indeed that he survived the incident, whatever it had been, he was in seriously bad condition. His spine was broken at the neck; the only reason he hadn't died then and there from it was because he'd blacked out before he had a chance to move. He'd be paralyzed from the neck down. That was, if he ever came out of the deep coma he was in.  
  
Doctors repeatedly told Maria that, being realistic, there was a very slim chance of her husband ever re-gaining conciseness, but despite this she continued to hope. Weeks passed. Then months. Still, no sign that he would be waking up. The young woman wore herself out each day, working from early in the morning to late at night, spending the time before and after work, along with lunch breaks, at her husband's bedside. Though she loved her daughter dearly, she was spending more and more time away from her. But finally, the hospital bills, combined with trying to pay baby-sitters, became too much.  
  
One day, only about a week before Christmas, Maria wrote a letter to Josh's mother, nearly begging her to come and live with them to take care of little Aylee. The little girl's grandmother replied immediately, eager to help out her son's family in any way possible and wanting more than anything to see her granddaughter, especially after the loss of her only child. Three days before Christmas, "Granmama" arrived, much to the delight of her granddaughter and the relief of her daughter-in-law.  
  
Christmas that year was spent rather strangely within the Bennett household. Maria worked most of the day, then went straight over to the hospital to stay with her husband. The only time she spent with her daughter was the half-hour lunch break she took to watch Aylee open her presents, which, due to the difficult year, were few. But aside from all this, the day would be one to bring about a great change for the little girl. All thanks to a woman called Granmama and a little picture book.  
  
**************  
  
Maria glanced anxiously at her watch for at least the thirtieth time since they sat down to Christmas dinner. This time though, she didn't pick up her fork again and continue picking at her mashed potatoes or baked corn. "I'm sorry, I've really gotta go." She murmured hastily, pushing her chair away from the table and standing, gathering her dishes as she did. "Be good for Granmama, won't you honey?" The weary young woman continued, kissing her little daughter on the cheek quickly, then hurrying the plates in her arms out to the sink.  
  
"Mommy, don't go!" Aylee cried, struggling to get down off her chair. "Stay Mommy! Please!" She wiggled, then managed to hop off the boosterseat she'd been on and run to her mother, grabbing her around the legs.  
  
"I can't baby. I've gotta go to work so I can go visit Daddy tonight." Her mother replied, voice strained. It was hard enough leaving, but when this happened.  
  
"Lee, let your mother go." Granmama ordered gently, still sitting at the table. "Come finish your dinner."  
  
"But-"  
  
"/Now/." The words were gentle, but very firm and the little girl reluctantly let go of her mother's legs. "Come on love, she'll be home later." Sadly, Aylee looked up at her mother and nodded, then turned back to her grandmother. From near the door Maria threw the older woman a grateful look, before slipping outside.  
  
At the table Aylee's round hazel eyes were filling with tears. "Granmama, why must Mommy go? Doesn't she love me?" She asked, chin wobbling.  
  
"Child, what makes you think that? Of course she loves you! That's why she works so hard." Her grandmother replied, reaching over and lifting the girl's face up to look at her. "You know what? She loves you so much that she even left you an extra present to open if you missed her too much. Want to go open it now?" At this the five-year-old's eyes widened.  
  
"A present? For me?" She asked, stunned. All her presents had been opened already, hadn't they?  
  
"Yes, a present for you." Granmama smiled. "Tell you what, go sit down on the big chair and I'll bring it to you." The older woman chuckled as the little girl hesitated for only a fraction of a second before jumping up and plopping herself into the large red armchair by the window. "Good girl. I'll be right back." She stood up carefully, and went into her own bedroom, coming out a few minutes later with a long, flat package wrapped in dark green-colored paper. The package was laid on the excited girl's lap, then Granmama sat down in a nearby chair.  
  
"What is it?" Aylee asked immediately, tilting her head a little, a grin spread across her face. Her grandmother laughed.  
  
"You've got to open it to find out." She replied, eyes sparkling. Without pausing a second longer, the girl began to tear at the paper, pulling it off in strips. Seconds later she shrieked in delight.  
  
"A book! A book!" She cried, holding it up. Indeed, it was a book, though not the kind you'd find in stores for children her age, about little duckies and little bears and little turtles all going on a picnic together. It was a beautiful, hard-covered book with intricate color drawings to illustrate each page. The story itself was probably more violent then should ever be given to young children in the first place and the pictures seemed to make the book come alive. No doubt it would have given more than one child her age nightmares, but Aylee, for some strange reason or another, fell in love with it.  
  
Once her grandmother agreed to begin reading it, the little girl discovered the story was called "Yuzuriha Nekoi." She absorbed each sentence contained in the piece of fiction, the tale of a girl raised in a temple with her grandmother, her only companion an invisible Dog Spirit that protected her. There was the violence as well, when the girl, or sometimes her companion, was forced to kill an enemy before they could complete their mission of the same objective, but just the same, Aylee loved it. Everything about it. Yuzuriha Nekoi became her hero.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
The Scarewulf had been running with the pack for awhile now. He wasn't really aware of the exact amount of time he'd spent with them; time really had no meaning for ghosts anyway. As time had no meaning for him, sleep was the same. Unlike living creatures, he had no real need of sleep and therefore had no dreams. There was nothing before the pack, or at least nothing that he could remember, and so there was nothing for him to dream about. Not really anyway. One thing that bothered him though, was that every so often he'd be trotting along with the others when they'd pass certain places and in a sudden flash something would come to him. Three words.  
  
Unspoken promise.  
  
Her.  
  
And then there was something.something he knew was there in the back of his mind and it was important, a matter of life and death. But he couldn't remember it. It was like fog drifting around him, so real and there, but the moment he tried to touch it, feel it, he came away with nothing.  
  
Then again, the entire pack had similar things, and most of them had managed to ignore it and get on with living their ghostly afterlife. And yet, he couldn't ignore it. The pull, while only there occasionally and vaguely at that, was strong enough that he had to find out. He had to answer the call. Unlike the Dark and the Light, one forcing him, the other simply a tempting prospect, this was a calling. It didn't force him to respond, but it was more than just an offer of something. He /had/ to do it. To go. But he didn't know any more than that and this was what frustrated him.  
  
It called him, but he just didn't know how to answer.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
From the start the little girl acted normal. She was quick to catch on to things, but not a genius. She was a cute kid, but not gorgeous. She was polite, got along well with the other children, did well in kindergarten and was usually quite helpful. At the same time, she wasn't perfect, like all children. She'd be mischievous, get into arguments and sometimes fights, even be the occasional brat and demand to get her way.  
  
But while most others saw her as perfectly normal, she seemed to see herself as different. The other children seemed to like her a lot; she got along decently with almost everyone and had a great imagination, making playing with her lots of fun. And yet she tended to unexpectedly wonder off from playing to be by herself. She was never one to invite herself into a group of people anyway, always waiting to be asked to come along, and this too added to her being a loner at times. Not understanding why she didn't just join in, the other children would simply assume that she didn't want to play with them and let it be at that, leaving her to wander the playground on her own.  
  
So, before she was even six years old, Aylee's two personalities began to develop. Around people she was a perfectly normal, likable little girl, cheerful and energetic and ready to have a good time. Alone though, she did just as well, finding things to do on her own and able to become totally unattached to other people.  
  
Even as she grew, neither of these really won out over the other. They both merely matured, changing slightly as fit her maturing personality. And this, though she didn't know at the time, would help shape her to become what she did.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
  
  
"I'm gonna be a Ponyta!"  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I'll be a Squirtal and defeat you!"  
  
"Can I be a Vulpix? They're so cool!"  
  
"Me too! I wanna be a Vulpix too!"  
  
"Bulbasaur's the best! I'm gonna be a Bulbasaur!"  
  
The group of children Aylee was playing with was quickly getting louder as each person tried to talk over top of the one before them. They were all excited, some jumping up and down, while others were running around acting like the Pokemon of their choice. Each child was too busy shouting out what they were going to be to bother asking the quieter girl if she was playing or not so when they all ran off to their "Secret Pokemon Valley", galloping, swimming and flapping to get there, they didn't notice that she stayed behind. No one called back for her to hurry up and follow. No one had heard her announce that she was going to be a Spearow and fly there with them. And when she followed on her own, arriving at the sandy little ditch they called their valley, a little boy told her that no humans here allowed and that she should go play with other people.  
  
Disappointed, but not surprised, Aylee trudged off to the other side of the playground and sat down on her favorite swing. Pushing herself back and forth a few times, she finally got up enough height to actually start swinging. After that it only took a couple of minutes before she was swinging high. The part she enjoyed the most was the fact that every time she went up, it seemed as if she'd hit the tops of the trees nearby, but of course she never did. She kept this up for several minutes, eventually getting tired and letting herself slow down.  
  
Humming quietly to herself as she let her feet drag in the dust to slow herself down, Aylee didn't notice the creature watching her from the trees right away. It watched as she jumped from the slowing swing, landing hard and toppling over into a heap at the edge of the stand of trees. It noted how she quickly got up, sniffed for only a second, then brushed herself off quickly and stood up. It stared hard at her as she looked up suddenly, eyes wide, staring back. The creature's ears pricked up as she said something, voice hardly more than a whisper.  
  
"What.what are you?" Though her voice was quiet, it held not a trace of fear, just curiosity and maybe a little worry that she would scare the creature off. Not that he /would/ be scared off anyway, not by a little girl at least, but just the fact that she cared enough whether he stayed or went to be cautious made him curious. Why didn't she, like so many others, become terrified at the first sight of him? And what was it about her that made him feel.protective?  
  
**************  
  
Somehow he knew it wasn't a good idea to leave the safety of the pack. He knew that it was always the ones that went off by themselves that got caught, and he, more than any of the Scarewulves in his pack, desperately didn't want to get caught. The reason for this, like most things with him, was unclear, but he knew it had to do with those three words lodged in his mind. At times it was almost enough to drive him crazy. An unspoken promise. Could it have been one he had made? If so, what was it? He couldn't keep it if he didn't know what it was! And.her. Who was she? The one he'd made the promise to perhaps? He /had/ to find out.  
  
So he'd done the thing he had least wanted to. He'd left the pack on an all- out search. Lavender, he knew, was the place for creatures like him.yes, ghosts, to find answers. For most these came from others of their kind, answers about what they were, what they could do, how they could do it. He was looking for more. The chances of him actually finding what he was searching for were slim and he knew it. For all he knew he had come from a place far from here and there would be nothing more to find than that which he already knew. But still, he had to try.  
  
The first stop had been the clearing before the woods; it was the first thing he remembered clearly and it seemed logical to start at the beginning. Slowly, he had searched the tree line, sensitive nose hard at work. Easily, he found the spots where the two bodies had been at one time; the scent was still there, though by now it was very faint. As interesting as it was to think about, it gave him no clue on what the three words meant, so he continued on.  
  
He had searched the entire town carefully, even the more populated areas. He'd been invisible, but still he had been nervous about the whole idea. For some reason people made him nervous. Mostly it was the fear of being captured; should such a thing happen, it would ruin his chances of ever finding out what this unspoken promise was. And he couldn't let that happen. Aside from that though, people just weren't trustworthy. He had been told by others of the tricks they played and the things they did when afraid, something that happened often when one of his kind was seen. But, he'd either been skilled enough, or more likely lucky enough, to avoid anyone, even in the populated areas. Well, almost everyone.  
  
For some reason the playground had attracted him. Who knows, maybe it was the laughter, a sound he didn't remember ever hearing. Maybe it was the large number of children, all in one place. Maybe it was simply an unusual sight, all the odds and ends in one place. But it had attracted him, snagging his attention from the hospital nearby where he had been sniffing around one of the laundry entrances. He'd been glad to see there was a wooded area nearby where he could stay hidden and that there was nobody even remotely near there at the moment. Hurrying over, he'd made his way to a nice place to watch, one where he'd been fairly well hidden as well, and dropped his defenses, once again becoming solid. Or at least as solid as a ghost-type could be.  
  
And so he waited and watched. Children began to pour from the building nearby, arranging themselves into clusters on the playground almost as quickly as they arrived. Several children caught his attention. One, a skinny little boy who was getting picked on by a group of bigger boys put up a tremendous fight, managing to take out several of them before a teacher on duty hurried over to break up the fight. A second was a surprisingly pretty little girl, short blond curls bouncing as she knelt down in the dust to help a smaller boy who had scraped his knee badly, getting her crisp blue dress quite dirty. Two boys, off to the side of the building were sitting on the ground side-by-side, obviously upset as they watched a group of children playing kickball. So busy was he watching these children that he didn't notice the remarkably plain little girl get left behind as yet another little cluster took off to the opposite end of the playground. He didn't see the mistake that was made by a redhead boy, telling her to go find others to play with. The Scarewulf male didn't notice the little girl, upset but far from tears, climb on the swings and entertain herself, apart from the other youngsters her age.  
  
A creaking noise caught his attention and he glanced up suddenly, to spot the girl swinging happily by herself. Creeeeak.creak. Creeeeak.creak. The rickety old swings groaned as she went higher and higher, strong little legs pumping. For some reason he ignored the others he'd been so fascinated with and watched just her now. Creeeeak.creak. Creeeeak.creak. She seemed so confident. As much as she liked people, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and she knew it. The fact that she couldn't talk over the others, outdo the others.it didn't bother her at all. It was as if she knew.something. Something that kept her going and made her strong. How he wished he had that.  
  
.unspoken promise.her.  
  
So absorbed in watching her that he hadn't thought to move as she slowed down. He had stayed still and quite visible as she jumped from the swing, landed badly and crumpled into a heap. Right in front of him.  
  
The fact that she hadn't cried almost surprised him. For some reason he just expected anything that little to be upset at the slightest bump. But it also impressed him. Impressed him to the point where he felt.proud? She got up quickly and brushed herself off. Then she looked directly at him. Instantly, out of pure instinct, he froze, expecting her to react suddenly. She didn't. Instead she spoke to him, her voice a whisper. It was as if she /wanted/ him to stay.  
  
"What.what are you?" Was all she said, or rather, asked. A second after she said this, a sort of half smile appeared on her face, followed a little later by a full one. She was./smiling/ at him.  
  
He hesitated. Should he reply? If he did, would she even understand him? From what the others had told him, she wouldn't and it might even scare her if she wasn't already. Besides that, he was a little frightened, though it seemed silly. What would happen if he did say something? But.she had been brave enough to talk to him first; he could return the favor. "Wulf." That was all he allowed escape him. A brief, friendly hello. And yet, the little girl took it as so much more.  
  
"Wow." She breathed, bright hazel eyes wide and the smile on her face growing. Perhaps it was only her young age, but she had no fear of him. All he sensed from her was excitement and.awe? She seemed to almost respect him. "I-" She started again, but just then a bell clanged loudly and she started sharply, glancing over her shoulder. In deep disappointment she groaned, turning back to look at him. "I have to go in. But.would you wait for me? I'll come back, I promise!" He voice was almost pleading with him. The bell clanged again, insistently, and the girl turned again anxiously, before looking at him again. "My name is Lee. Lee Bennett. And I'll be back!" Was all she said before turning again and running off to join the other kids.  
  
The Scarewulf watched her as she ran off, the words pounding in his head again. This time though, they were louder and more demanding. And this time, there was an extra word.  
  
.unspoken promise.her.Lee.  
  
Could she be the one? It was more than likely that she wasn't, what were the chances? But still, why else would he feel like he should follow her right now? Like he should follow her, protect her, be her friend. Maybe that was his unspoken promise, what he had stayed on earth for. To protect someone who needed him. And somehow he sensed, that with her self- confidence, and ability to get along on her own, that little girl would get lonely somewhere along the line. Very lonely. Aside from that, what messes would she get herself into with the attitude she had? Only time would tell.  
  
But one thing was for sure, whatever happened to her he'd be there with her. Right or wrong, it didn't matter to him anymore. He'd chosen her./her/.to protect. It was.an unspoken promise.  
  
People say it only takes a moment for one person to know they love another. Well, they're mighty close.  
  
**************  
  
True to her word, Aylee returned the moment her school let out. And there he was, waiting patiently for her when she arrived. It was then that it started, slowly but surely.  
  
  
  
**************  
  
For the first few weeks the Scarewulf behaved more like an outdoor pet, greeting Aylee when she came outside in the morning for school and the moment she got home. The rest of the time he would either wander off or hang around her house, though he never let himself be seen by anyone else living there. Along with that, he refused to follow the girl indoors or anywhere else too populated with humans, the fear of them still to strong and the friendship between him and 'his girl' too weak.  
  
As time went on though, their friendship began to grow. And of course, life had it's own little ways of pulling them together even faster.  
  
**************  
  
"I still can't believe you child. Getting into a fight on school grounds! And with a boy too! How could you girl?" Granmama shook her head sadly at the thought as she climbed the small hill. Trudging up the hill beside her, Aylee was grinning from ear to ear despite her torn shirt, muddy jeans, bloody nose and already bruising black eyes.  
  
"But Granmama! He's such a bully!" She protested instantly. "He picks on everybody, but nobody every fights back! It's not fair!"  
  
"You shouldn't have fought back child." Her grandmother chided gently, putting an arm across her shoulders. "Life's not fair Aylee, no matter how much we wish it was."  
  
"Why can't we just do something about it?" The little girl asked, somehow already knowing the answer.  
  
"Your father tried to. You know that." Granmama sighed, then added to herself, softly so the girl wouldn't hear, "But look where it landed him." Unbeknownst to her though, Aylee caught every word. And those words stuck.  
  
The two arrived home and Aylee was immediately hurried inside to get cleaned up, but not before the Scarewulf, who had been waiting outside, invisible as usual, caught sight of her. She was a mess; almost any other child in her position would have been crying their eyes out, but she just had a proud little grin still plastered on her face. Yes, she wasn't upset at all about what had happened, true. But the point of the matter was, she had gotten hurt and he hadn't been there to protect her. And he had promised.  
  
That did it. The next morning when she went off to school, he followed. She was surprised, but happy for the company for the short walk there and chattered away happily to him the entire way. Once they got closer to the school though, he suddenly went invisible, the fear of being seen by people still too great. In many ways it was best that he did this anyway, especially noting that most humans were more afraid of him than vise-versa, but it certainly gave the little girl he'd been walking beside quite a shock. Realizing this, he nudged her gently with his nose, snapping visible for a second so she could see him, before returning to his see-through state. As much as this would have confused many adults, children tend to accept things as they see them instead of trying to make something out of it all the time, so Aylee simply accepted that he was there, she just couldn't see him.  
  
The day progressed as usual, Lee sitting in he kindergarten class reciting their colors, numbers and the letters of the alphabet, but today the Scarewulf joined her, sitting by her side at every moment. Every so often he would reach over when no one was looking, snap visiable and lick the girl's hand, making her jump slightly. Eventually though, she got used to it and she would allow a little smile to appear on her face each time he did. Things went well and rather uneventfully that day. School let out and the children hurried home, Aylee followed by the Scarewulf as well. The events during the trip home on the other hand, easily made up for the rest of the day.  
  
Just as they were reaching the point where he was beginning to feel safe enough to return to 'solid' stage, a group of three boys jumped out from behind the trees alongside the path. The Scarewulf, who hadn't thought he would need to on alert at the moment, didn't notice they'd been hiding there and their appearance surprised him as much as it did the girl beside him. Aylee, seeing the boys who were far larger than she was and far older, couldn't control the fear that crossed her face. She knew why they had come and didn't like their goal.  
  
"Hey there twerp." The biggest and presumably the oldest said loudly, walking over to stand in front of her, blocking the path.  
  
"We understand you got into a little argument with our brother." A second added as he and the third closed in on the sides.  
  
"So what if I did?" Aylee replied angrily, somehow managing to keep the fear out of her voice. Beside her, the Scarewulf was shifting nervously, a low, silent growl growing in his throat. He didn't like this situation at all. These boys were threatening the girl he'd sworn to protect and he saw that she was far outnumbered here. He'd been right, her attitude had unknowingly gotten her into trouble.  
  
"Well," The oldest laughed at her, a smirk spreading across his face. "Aren't we the brave one? I wouldn't be so full of yourself at the moment if I were you."  
  
"You're not me!" She shot back, hands on hips defiantly. But as brave as she acted, the Scarewulf knew, his animal-instinct told him she was terrified.  
  
"Look here kid, you messed with our little brother!" Roared the third boy, jumping forward to grab a hold of her shoulders and starting to shake her violently. "/Nobody/ messes with our family and walks away!" Despite herself, the moment he touched her the little girl gasped and began to tremble, little noises escaping her as she was roughly shoved back and forth by the boy at least a good four years older. The other boys were moving in closer, smirks crossing their faces as they watched in amusement.  
  
As for the Scarewulf, he paused for a moment as the verbal abuse ended suddenly, giving way to physical action. He was only still for a second though. The growl began to rumble louder and louder as he suddenly became quite visible, crouching and baring his teeth at the three boys. Instantly the two oldest whirled around to see the wolf-ghost, paws somehow inches off the ground instead of on the ground and lips curled back in a ferocious snarl.  
  
"Oh shit." The second boy muttered, staring open-mouthed at the Scarewulf. "Man, /do/ somethin'!"  
  
"Uh, right." Gulping, the oldest prepared to face the growling creature in front of them. Then, chickening out, he turned and ran off through the woods as fast as he could go. His younger brother seemed to choke for a moment before chasing wildly after.  
  
As for the youngest, he was so busy punching the struggling kid that he didn't notice the Scarewulf or his fleeing brothers. It wasn't until he saw the look on Aylee's face change from intense hatred of him to something he didn't understand. She was no longer looking at him, she was looking /behind/ him.  
  
"What the." He turned, coming face to face with the Scarewulf. The boy blanched, staring at the ghost. "Oh.my.God." Before he could think, he'd tossed the kid he'd been holding at the ghost-type and ran for, all he knew, his life.  
  
Even once he was gone, Aylee lay on the ground, trying desperately to stop the tears she knew were coming. As hard as she tried, it didn't work and tears came streaming down her face. Exhausted and still shaking slightly, she just gave in and curled into a ball, crying softly.  
  
The Scarewulf's expression changed as the threat disappeared and he cautiously moved toward the huddled girl, nudging her gently with his nose. Through her tears, she looked up at him, smiling faintly and wiping at her eyes with a grimy hand. Finally, she shakily got to her feet.  
  
"Let's go home boy." She murmured, looking over at him. Contentedly, the Scarewulf ran his tongue across his chops and nodded, moving so he was right beside her as they started off.  
  
They had gone only a little way before Aylee stopped, dropping to her knees. As small as she was, the ghost-type now appeared much bigger than her, but this didn't seem to matter to either. Her long, slim fingers reached out to touch ever so carefully the almost solid ghost dog's muzzle, looking straight into his cobalt-blue eyes. The Scarewulf reached forward a bit with his nose, snuffing her face and staring right back at her. There was now something between the two, far more than what had been there before and they both knew it. The Scarewulf didn't quite understand that in stepping forward as he had, he had more than likely saved the little girl from getting the worst beating of her life and possibly more. The girl didn't realize that in not being afraid and being perfectly accepting of the ghost Pokemon, she was helping him understand part of why he had stayed tied to earth and was giving him a purpose.  
  
Their moment of just watching each other lasted no more than a few minutes at most, but the thing that started in those minutes would last far longer than that. It was only just beginning for them.  
  
**************  
  
A week passed and things had made a drastic change. The Scarewulf, who had been lovingly dubbed 'Inuki' by Aylee who had gotten the name from "Yuzuriha Nekoi" and her grandmother, was now at her side at all times. Usually he stayed invisible, letting his girl know where he was with gentle nudges and licks, but when they were alone he'd suddenly appear out of seemingly nowhere to bring the comfort that only something visible can.  
  
As for the little girl, the incident with the bullies seemed to change her slightly, in a way that only those closest to her could detect. Now the fact that life wasn't fair was apparent, she'd seen it with her father and had learned it the hard way on her own. But Aylee wasn't the kind of person who would let that kind of thing go at that. She decided quite firmly that if life was going to be unfair to her, it was going to be unfair in her favor and she was determined to make sure of it. Even as young as she was, Aylee began taking advantage of every possible situation, no matter what it involved. Of course she never did anything to hurt anyone, she'd been through that already and just didn't seem to have the heart to do it to others, but as long as she wasn't doing it directly, she no longer cared who got hurt. She was still as social as ever, still the one just about anybody could hang out with no matter what, but the other side of her was beginning to change as she grew and that was the part that stayed hidden.  
  
The part of Aylee that had always been a bit of a loner grew with her resolution to make sure she was on the receiving end of life's unfairness. As horrible as it was, she got a sort of pleasure from using other's weaknesses or misfortunes to her advantage. She was a smart girl, but instead of using that to do well in school or some other area, she began to come up with ways to get around things or get out of things. And more often then not, her ideas worked.  
  
Of course, this was all kept in the back of her mind most of the time. Usually she would seem like just your typical little girl, going to school, getting average grades, playing with friends and getting into the occasional mischeif. Still though, Lee was a ticking bomb, just waiting to go off. There was something in her, something that can't be passed down genetically or learned. It was something only a few people are born with and even fewer ever allow to grow to it's full potential. But even as it grew stronger every day, Aylee didn't know. It was quite hidden for the moment, both to others and to her.  
  
And somewhere in the middle of these two halves was Inuki, her protecter, but quickly becoming her very best friend. He was the only one who she could count on at all times, he saw both sides of her and still was loyal. Somehow they both knew that through thick and thin they would never give up on one another. They were too close, needed each other too much.  
  
So life went on. Aylee grew. She became a cheerful pre-teen with good grades and plenty of close friends. At the same time she became more cunning as she observed the way people worked, how they acted in different situations and the thoughts she managed to convince them to share. Slowly, she became more observent, noticing patterns and similarities most people wouldn't bother with and using them to her advantage. Like her father, she was good at putting two and two together, only she was using her clues for different purposes.  
  
But as much as she grew in these areas, all people ever saw the the perfectly normal pre-teen girl.  
  
**************  
  
Shortly after Aylee's tenth birthday, her life suddenly went spinning wildly out of control. First, the impossible happened. After about seven years in a coma, her father woke up. No one was quite sure how this happened. The doctors had long since given up and it was only because of Maria's insistence that her husband would eventually wake up that kept them from pulling the plug years ago. Some believed it was the fact that the entire family was there with him for the first time since the accident. Some believe it was simply a once in a lifetime chance. Some believed it was a miracle. Whatever it was, Josh was again among the living.  
  
This, of course, changed the Bennett family's life drastically. Mountains of hospital bills loomed over them, so Maria was working harder than ever. Granmama got a job as well and on top of that was trying to take care of her bedridden son. Aylee was spending more and more time trying to take care of herself, scraping together what she could around the house for meals, getting herself off to school in the mornings, coming home and doing her homework and trying to help her family out as best she could by doing odd jobs in most of her spare time. Her mother, who cared about her, but was too busy trying to earn a decent living for the family, didn't seem to notice what was becoming of her daughter. Granmama on the other hand did notice and worries about her granddaughter were added to her already sizable worry load.  
  
And then the unthinkable happened. On her way home from the grocery, Granmama had a heart attack. She died instantly.  
  
The effects this had on the rest of the family terrible. Life went on, but no longer was there any real drive to it. To Aylee, yet another person who'd been trying to make things right had been punished for it. Her beloved grandmother gone, the ten-year-old seemed to become suddenly quiet and withdrawn. In truth, the part of her that had once been tucked deep inside her had come out and was now the visible part of her. Inuki was the only one she trusted or showed any emotion to. He was the only one she said more than a few brief words to.  
  
It wasn't long before things became too much for Maria alone to handle. They were slowly sinking into debt. Just as things were starting to look worse than ever, a letter came. It was from one of Maria's cousins who was living on Cinnabar. She was offering to let them come live with her family. There would be better medical care for Josh, because of the commercialized area, a better job for Maria, and children for Aylee to play with. Along with this, it would give the family a chance to unload some stress. The perfect opportunity.  
  
Not being stupid, Maria accepted.  
  
As usual, Aylee adapted. Inuki was a major part of this, silently sticking by her side, someone familiar in totally new surroundings.  
  
By now though, she was growing restless for something. Unfortunately, she had no idea what this could be, but it was persistent, a gnawing inside her that made her feel as though if she didn't figure out what she needed to do soon she'd die. It didn't take too long for her to figure it out.  
  
Rebelliously, she joined up with a nearby gang that roamed the tourist areas of Cinnabar, pick pocketing and pulling off minor thefts whenever they could manage it. For some reason, being with a group where she could put her brains and newly found desire to fight to good use was exactly what Aylee, now called Lee most of the time, had wanted so badly. Finally, she had found something she was good at, and as bad as it was, she enjoyed it. With her grandmother dead, her sense of right and wrong seemed to have died as well.  
  
Like her father, Lee was good at what she did. She became quite skilled at starting a friendly conversation with someone, then snatching anything valuable she could find and getting away long before they realized what happened. Along with this, she was usually the brains behind any thefts the gang tried. One of the only things she wasn't into was beating up on the helpless. She never really said why, she was fine with fighting and would never hesitate to stick up for herself. Perhaps it was a shred of conscious left in her that kept her from joining in when the bullies of the gang decided to pick on a wandering little kid. Either way, she didn't do it.  
  
About nine months after joining the gang, a man who'd been keeping a close eye on her decided she'd learned enough where she was and that it was time to move up. Little did Lee know then what the next few years would bring, but it's a fact that she never really regretted the choice she made.  
  
  
  
  
  
* What is your character like today? Personality, likes, dislikes, etc. How  
  
does she interact with others?  
  
Lee's pretty much a two-sided person.  
  
To most of the world she's Aylee, a cheerful, friendly, teen-aged girl who is nothing out of the ordinary. Like so many teens, she's eager to fit in with people and make friends while avoiding confrontations or things that would make her take sides. A great admirer of Pokemon, Aylee wants to be a great trainer herself, and practically worships any trainers she meets. Willingly, she'll absorb any new information about Pokemon and that's pretty much everything. One unusual thing about her is that she has a serious dislike for any ghost-type except for Scarewulves. Even then, she'd be anywhere from nervous to frightened around a Scarewulf other than Inuki.  
  
Lee is almost the exact opposite. Like Inuki, her guardian, she tends to be quiet and intense. Preferring not to do a whole lot of talking, she'd much rather just watch and calculate. A fast thinker on her feet, she's just as fast when snatching a wallet or blocking an attack. The things that are most significant to her are the Team, where she belongs and can put her 'gifts' to good use, and her constant drive to make sure things go her own way. Lee's seen too many people who follow the rules get hurt and she has no intention of letting herself fall into the same trap.  
  
Unlike a lot of Team Rocket, she tends to avoid pointless scrapping. To her way of thinking, there's no point to fighting unless there's a decent reason for it. Of course, this doesn't mean she doesn't like fighting. In fact Lee gets a sort of cruel pleasure from fighting and if need be, would take on someone twice her own size just to prove herself. Despite being a rookie in Team Rocket judging by age, she's got enough experience that she can usually fare pretty well depending on her size and speed. But part of learning is losing and while she's had her share of wins, she's also had a good share of rather painful losses.  
  
One of her greatest faults is her habit of judging people. Even though she uses the element of surprise, getting people to underestimate her before proving what she really can do, she tends to fall for the same thing herself. Lee's still a kid and therefore still learning and that's just one thing she keeps being reminded of the hard way. Too often she finds herself overconfident of her judging abilities and it's usually then that she ends up facing one of her more painful losses.  
  
Overall though, Lee's a pretty smart and skilled kid. In most things she's a fast learner and she's always a hard-worker. Her loyalty to the Team is almost surprisingly strong for her having only really being a member for two months, but it's loyalty that comes from someone who's been lost for a long time before finding a place to fit in and that tends to be the strongest kind.  
  
  
  
* Does your character have any special powers? If so, please detail them  
  
well.  
  
Lee has not special powers per say.  
  
One thing she does, though I don't think it cold be called a "power," is use her rather boyish appearance to an advantage. When in her Team uniform she lets her short hair loose and allows it to fall into her face helping to keep her true identity a secret. Along with her appearance anyway, she tends to appear as a tall, skinny, teen boy.  
  
  
  
* Please give us a sample description of what your character looks like.  
  
Nothing unusual here. No impressive scars or stunning beauty. Quite the opposite in fact. Aylee's pretty much your typical, one face in the crowd sort of teenager. Tall and lanky, she has a sort of boyish look about her, so to make it clear she's a female she wears a pair of short cut-offs and a sleeveless tie-dyed top. Despite this, her hair, cut at an un-styled, short length that seems to be halfway in the process of growing out, adding to her problems. In an attempt to style it a little, Aylee uses colored clips to put it up, as well as keep it out of her face. It's clear just by looking at her that she's the kind of person who spends a lot of time outside. Her skin is dark and there are golden-red sun-streaks running through her dark brown hair. Few people would guess her age by looking at her; though she's fifteen she looks far older, possibly more like seventeen or eighteen.  
  
  
  
* Which Pokemon would you pick for your character's starter Pokemon? Why? For Lee's starter Pokemon I would choose a Scarewulf.  
  
OOCly, the first, and most important reason is that, although neither of them know it, Lee is the reason Sirius/Inuki became what he is in the first place. It was the promise that Sirius made to her father that he would protect her that kept him tied to earth. Now he's unbreakably loyal to Lee; he pretty much is her guardian and has no intention of ever letting anything happen to her as long as he can help it.  
  
IC though, Lee really wouldn't treat Inuki as a starter pokemon. He's her best friend and guardian. She wouldn't just order him around to fight other people's pokemon simply to see who would win or lose. Inuki stays by her side, most often invisible, to protect her and keep her company. If she were in danger he would do all he could to save her if he sees she can't save herself. The two are really, very close, Inuki's the only one Lee would allow herself to show any real emotion for. He's the only one who stuck by her and she loves him like she loves her family. Maybe more.  
  
  
  
* How did your character come to join Team Rocket? Who drew them into the  
  
gang?  
  
Lee was brought into Team Rocket by a man named Robert McKinnon. Extremely loyal to the Team, with an unknown past and a knack for undercover jobs, McKinnon also was known for coming up with things he thought would make his beloved Team stronger. Of course, this wouldn't have been a bad thing except for two little details. Firstly, some people tended to greatly disagree with him on certain aspects and therefore tried to prevent the ideas from being carried out. Secondly, McKinnon was a very stubborn person and more often than not, he found a way around people's attempts to keep his ideas grounded. Usually this was by secretly testing his plan, then if and when it succeeded, bringing it to light so that others could see his proved point.  
  
One such secret experiment was, at the time, ten-year-old Lee. His idea was that if willing subjects were trained far earlier on than was the usual practice, that once they reached a certain age they would be far more able to complete more difficult missions while staying out of jail. In theory, this was supposed to be a way of having more, better-trained workers. The better trained, the more that could be done, while at the same time the training would keep more people out of jail, allowing more people to do their jobs for longer amounts of time. There were, of course, drawbacks that made this idea difficult to work out and so it was quickly dismissed.  
  
As usual, this just made McKinnon even more anxious to prove himself right. After watching nearby gangs closely, scouting out the perfect test subject, a chance meeting had him finding Lee. Unremarkable as she seemed, the man noticed something about her that stuck out. She had the ability to quietly blend in, allowing her to mix with just about anybody. He also saw she was smart, knowing when to do something, push something, take advantage of something and when to sit back and watch or let something go. Impressed, he decided she was the one to test his idea on.  
  
The hardest part after finding his subject was convincing her. Knowing it would be pointless trying to trick her, when she found out the chances for her co-operation slimmed greatly and that was a significant part of his plan, he had to confront her honestly. Naturally though, that didn't mean he couldn't sell the perks of the job.  
  
It was tricky, but once he had convinced the girl that if she joined the Team her talents would grow and be put to good use, she quickly agreed, eager to be part of a group that needed her. An organized group, not the gang of bullies she had been running with.  
  
Once his subject agreed, the first lessons began. The first thing he taught her was the thing he considered most important: Maintaining an alternate identity. In order to be a good Rocket, one needed to walk around with others and gather information that otherwise wouldn't be available to them. But a Rocket wearing their uniform couldn't mix with a group of pokemon trainers. Likewise, he told her, she would have to have two identities, the one she would show the public and the one only the Team would see. The easiest way to do this would be to alternately 'live' the life she would have had she not been chosen for the Team. Lee managed this beautifully.  
  
A little while later she went to her family, asking to be allowed to join the group of people going on their pokemon journey that year. It only took a little convincing they were glad to see her interested in pokemon and thought it would be a good idea to let her go. This way she'd meet people and see more of the world. That done, Lee was on her way.  
  
McKinnon started the training of his newly turned eleven-year-old apprentice harshly. She was to be trained secretly until her fifteenth birthday and by then he hoped to have produced a Rocket far more advanced than even some of the older Rockets. He pushed her hard everyday, both physically and mentally. Each day was a different routine so Lee was always on her toes. Some days she would wake up around three in the morning and need to jog several miles, while other mornings she would be allowed until halfway through the day before being told to perform a various minor theft or two. One of McKinnon's favorite things to pull on her was some sort of problem solving right after having her do a tiring workout. When she complained he just laughed and told her that it wasn't unusual for a Rocket to manage getting through all sorts of obstacles then not be able to get to their goal because they couldn't figure out a simple problem.  
  
As extensive as the training was, the thing McKinnon never seemed to stress was aggressive anything. He drilled into Lee's head how to solve things, avoid things, get around things, weasel things out of people, handle difficult people and such, but he never taught her simple scrappy fighting. Speed, agility and strength was important to him, but it was all focused into the stealing of things or self-protection. As much as Lee seemed to like fights, he never taught her the best ways to be aggressive. And in a life such as the one they were living, that was a dangerous thing.  
  
The training kept up for about three years and Lee grew into a wiry and tough teen. When not in the world as pokemon trainer Aylee, she tended to relax her attempts to look feminine and the few who managed to glimpse her during a theft described her as a tall, skinny teen-aged boy. This played in perfectly with what McKinnon had taught her and simply convinced the Rocket that he had been right in choosing her for his project.  
  
But by now his secret project wasn't so secret. Team Rocket was far from clueless and there were several people who had taken a great dislike to McKinnon. They had taken it upon themselves to keep an eye on the roguish Rocket and when they discovered what he'd been so busy doing they weren't too pleased. He couldn't be telling random people about them! His ideas were one thing, but when he started secretly recruiting people something had to be done. And they decided they were just the people to do it.  
  
About a month before Lee's fifteenth birthday the two were ambushed by the angry Team members. Determined to prove that he had been right, McKinnon put up a fight, killing one of the seven in the group before being ganged and getting knifed himself. Lee on the other hand managed to put up a bit more of a fight, although most of what she did at first was defensive; it was all she had been taught. As the fight got more intense though, and her trainer killed someone, the bit of loyalty she felt for him took over and before she knew what she was doing, she herself had killed two people. Instead of feeling horrified, the fact almost made her stronger and more eager to fight. Either that or now she realized there was more to fighting than just getting away. This was life and death and she had no intention of going down easily.  
  
Even once McKinnon went down she kept going. On the outside she seemed calm and determined, but inside she was terrified. Never before had she killed anyone, not other humans anyway. But the desire not to end up like them was stronger than anything, and she kept going. Not surprisingly though, she was taken down shortly after. Four against one, especially when the one is trained only in defense and worn out at that, is never a good thing and it did take it's toll. Things might have been different, Lee might have won, had Inuki been fighting by her side but because McKinnon had always been nervous around the ghost, he'd insisted she keep him in a pokeball when he was around. The fight had started too fast and ended too quickly for the Scarewulf to have even come into play.  
  
But Lee wasn't instantly killed like her trainer. The Rockets had seen what she could do and even if she had been taught by the nutcase, she was good. They could use her on the Team.  
  
Lee woke up a few hours later in the Team Rocket infirmary. And so it began.  
  
  
  
* How does your character feel about being a "bad guy"?  
  
A bad guy? No, no, no. Lee's not a bad guy! In fact, she's not even a bad girl! As she likes to say, life's not fair, but that doesn't mean it can't be unfair in your favor! That's all she's doing, making sure that life gives her the good stuff in life and dumps the bad on other people. Those who follow the rules always end up getting crushed by what they follow. She's seen it enough times and has no intention of getting crushed. Not her. 


End file.
